New R4 Car - Think Tank

[Sulland]

The FIA plan is that Rally3 will take over the place that was meant for R4, but underrated the price issue, and class flunked.

[Mirek]

Probably around €170K; that means 30 to 40 more than a decent second hand R5 and helps to explain why so few drivers are buying R4’s.

A little comment regarding the purpose of the R4 kit, Rally2 kit or whatever it is called.
It is very expensive for a manufacturer to make an R5. This means that many manufacturers, for various reasons, do not see themselves benefiting from such an investment.
On the other hand, there are importers of cars from brands that do not have an R5 who would like to participate in national championships, also for various reasons.
It is probably this need that the FIA ​​is trying to cover through this class for the conversion of suitable cars.
The regulations for this class must necessarily mean that they are somewhat less competitive than R5. Most people should understand this themselves without further explanation.
But the difference to R5 should (and is) so small that if one driver is x% better than another, it means that he can assert himself or make himself noticed. Maybe actually win the national championship he participates in.
I am very sure that this is not about creating a class where the cars are mainly meant to be cheaper than the R5.

There was a very important point given by someone here on the forum few years ago. There are places where a vehicle import tax makes R5 cars enormously expensive. In these places these kit cars actually make sense because they are built locally and thus far cheaper than R5 cars.

That's not the case of Europe of course, hence why we in Europe usually fail to see this point.

[AnttiL]

It's a shame that these cars will never have a chance to compete against real Rally2 cars, and on the other hand they won't be put in the same class with Rally3 cars, which their pace is closer to.

Riku Tahko drove a Rally2Kit Mini in the Finnish championship last year and at best he was matching the fastest Group N Mitsubishis, usually 2s / km behind the fastest Rally2 car. I'm expecting the Rally3 to be near the same level...

[Sulland]

What is the best driver that has driven these cars in one or more rallies, and what have they said about the package, compared to R5?

[PLuto]

This cars were never planned to compete with R5 cars, but to replace group N Mitsubishis and Subarus.

[Sulland]

This cars were never planned to compete with R5 cars, but to replace group N Mitsubishis and Subarus.

Agreed, but more to understand the true potential of the Rally2 Kit package.

[PLuto]

Agreed, but more to understand the true potential of the Rally2 Kit package.

We will see some of these cars this year in ERC2 (for first and last year), so we will see...

[Andre Oliveira]

Audi A1 Rally2-Kit by EKS

[Andre Oliveira]

With new structure of FIA, where will race Rally2-Kit in WRC?

[Sulland]

Own class only nationally, as far as I can read the two pyramides.